Crane accidents in the construction industry are relatively common, and this is because of the inherent dangers involved with operating cranes.

In June of 2017, PIX 11 reported a crane accident in Queens, where two injured workers were in critical condition and rushed to a hospital. The third worker, who was finally also extracted, was in serious condition and hospitalized. The accident occurred at 31-25 28th Road in Astoria. The crane’s load fell through the building after being placed on the roof. The roof caved in and trapped the workers.

Crane Collapse

At first, reporters thought the crane load accident was caused by crane collapse. This assumption was not unusual because crane collapse happens fairly often in the construction industry. Live Science published an article about Phillip Ezzell, a former crane operator and the CEO of Crane Safety Associates of America, and he said that crane collapse accidents are an inherent danger in construction projects.

To make his point, he gave various examples of crane accidents. One occurred in Manhattan in 2008 when a crane collapsed and killed seven people and injured more than 10 people. Then a few months later, another crane accident killed two construction workers in Manhattan. In the same year, a crane lifting beams over a Texas river from an old bridge became overloaded and collapsed, killing one worker and injuring another. During the same year, a crane collapsed in a Houston oil refinery. It killed four workers and injured seven.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) set new standards for crane safety in 2008, and violations of the safety rules, may provide grounds to take legal action for workers injured in crane accidents.

Get Legal Help with Crane Accident and Construction Accident Injuries

If you suffered serious injury in a crane accident or construction accident, get a legal opinion about pursuing compensation. Sackstein Sackstein & Lee, LLP offers a free consultation to discuss a potential claim.